


Rebirth of a Blossom

by KyeAbove, Ohaymikoto



Series: The Reinforcement of Agony AU Extras [5]
Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Character Death, F/M, Family, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Healing, M/M, Past Child Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Relationship(s), Past Underage, Pedophilia, Period-Typical Homophobia, Teen Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-01-04 21:57:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18352502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyeAbove/pseuds/KyeAbove, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ohaymikoto/pseuds/Ohaymikoto
Summary: Bertrum often watched the people at his parks. Upon spotting a frown among them, he ends up saving one young life.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Reading the main series is not required to understand this but having read it will give an understanding of what may come.

When a new fate occured, Bertrum was walking along in his most famous and well loved amusement park, looking at the people enjoying themselves. The weather is fine he notes. A great day for fun among people, and smiles for all.

He was surrounded by so many smiles. Bertrum felt pride in his work. He looks around the crowds, enjoying the joy he’d brought in his designs. This is, until he spotted a frown amongst the smiles.

At first, he thought he must be mistaken. But he looked back and around and saw a young girl with red-brown hair, holding onto herself as she walked. She was frowning and alone. Bertrum wondered what would dare bring a frown, surrounded by his joy-filled rides.

He knew for the sake of his human soul he must mend this and set a clear direction towards the girl. He intended to find the source of her frown and make her smile, or die trying.

When Bertrum got close, she tensed and looked scared even as recognition of him as a public figure crossed in her gaze. That perplexed Bertrum. He didn't have any intention of looking menacing in any way.

"Little miss. Why are you so unhappy to be here?"

"O-oh...I do like this park, Mister Piedmont." She replied in a sadden tone, looking away from him.

"You do? Good." Bertrum could tell there was more to this though.

"It’s just that I was sick on one of the rides and I didn't like the stares and the anger..." She continued, embarrassed.

"Oh, are you feeling well? Throwing up is not something to be taken lightly." Bertrum worried one of his rides was causing sickness in riders, which wouldn’t be good. He made note to talk to Lacie to see if she’d gotten similar complaints on one ride. Nausea happened all the time and from person to person, and so did throw up, but he prefer keeping an eye on these such things.

"No..no.....I...I'm with child...it makes me sick a lot." The girl explained. This hit Bertrum hard. She was far too young by the look of her to be pregnant, and the scared look in her eyes was haunted by terror and honest. His rides can be cleaned and repaired, but humans lives were worth so much more.

“Rides can be cleaned but innocence is a little harder. How are you with child?" Bertrum was fearful for this girl’s health and safety, especially if she was truly alone.

The girl trembled and looked down. Her silence spoke volumes to Bertrum and his mind turned to a dark thought.

"Someone bad touched you..."

The girl nodded, shaking in fear.

Bertrum frowned deeply. Such a vile act made him almost visibly shiver in revulsion but he kept his composure. "Did you come here alone?" The girl nodded again. "Why?"

"My parents pushed me out of the house. Said since I was no longer pure I wasn't worth anything."

"That's quite a silly thought. I can tell you're worth the world and more. Some people are just too blinded to see that, but I, the Great Bertrum Piedmont, can see it clear as day."

The girl looked up and blinked at him, stunned, and Bertrum added on. "Your eyes. They show a hidden intelligence and passion. A person with such eyes as yours are a rare and valuable find in this world. You should be cherished."

She looked ready to cry, obvious not used to praise.

"This....this place is the only place I'm happy...ran out of money for the entrance fee so this will be my last time."

"Well that won't do then. If this place brings your smile then you should be able to come again any time." Bertrum fumbled around and found a piece of paper and used a pen to make it a free pass to the park and all the rides, with his signature signing it true. He handed it to the girl.

"I couldn't possibly accept this!" She replied flustered, but he waved her concerns off.

"Consider it a gift from me to you, miss...?"

“...Victoria." She was still very uneasy looking, but gazed at the pass in awe. She slipped into her small bag of possessions.

“Well miss Victoria, which is your favorite ride?"

"I really can't choose. They're all so wonderful. I am really sorry for throwing up in one of them..."

"Nothing that can't be cleaned up, no harm done there, you are not the first to throw up in an amusement park."

"But-"

"Dear, do you have a place to stay?"

Victoria quieted down and shuffled in place. "...no."

Bertrum knew he couldn’t allow that. "I know a man who takes in unwanted children. He'd give you a home."

"Who might that be?" Victoria questioned cautiously.

"Beorn Anders, he runs an orphanage and is very understanding."

"He is?"

"Yes. His only true desire in life is to help people. I admire him."

"He sounds too nice to be real." Victoria said in doubt.

"Oh, he's not all sugar and rainbows. He has a good heart and sometimes he does the wrong thing for the right reasons. But he does care about his kids."

"I see...so if I were to go to him would he turn me away disgusted over my pregnancy?" Victoria put a hand on her still flat abdomen.

"No. Many women and girls end up with him when they've fallen pregnant. He provides a safe space for them to either raise their children or see them off to a better home if they don't feel they can be mother to their child."

Victoria thought all this over in her head. He sounded like a nice man but she knew not to put trust in him. She’d trusted Mister Flynn after all…

"Can I meet him first, then decide? And you not leave?"

"Of course."

Victoria took Bertrum’s hand, and Bertrum lead her out of the park and to the way of the orphanage. Victoria asked for one stop on the way, for a little gift for her which turned out to be a knife. "It's for self defense, just in case." She explained.

Bertrum nodded. "You were undefended when you were attacked, I assume."

"Yes. I'm not meeting up with a strange man again without a weapon."

"That's very smart." They continued heading towards the orphanage, Bertrum glad Victoria trusted him in all this. Victoria kept very vigilant, and worried Bertrum was wrong about this Beorn man.

They reached the orphanage, and Bertrum knocked on the front door while Victoria hid behind him with the knife firmly grasped in her hands.

And a tall man opened the door, and grinned upon the sight of Bertrum. "Bertie! What brings you here?"

"I have a young miss here who needs a place to stay. She's pregnant and was thrown out by her parents. She's also wielding a knife.”

Bo looked down at Victoria, who was peeking out from behind Bertrum. Victoria could see Bo had a kind gaze. But she still held her knife close. A kind gaze doesn't mean a kind person. Mister Flynn had seemed personable and kind, even acting as such when he'd been moving inside her. Most people weren’t easy for her to trust now.

"There is always a place here for anyone in need, some of the kids would probably enjoy having someone new to play with." Bo said, trying to put the girl at ease.

"She's not very trusting."

"She trusts you."

"I am a public figure with a well known reputation for kindness. You are a stranger."

"Oh, that makes sense. There are many girls and women here just like her. A few of them have pointed knives at me before." Bo sounded amused by the reminder of that.

Victoria was surprised. "Really?" She asked.

"My own Leah did once, because she briefly thought I was my brother who hurt her."

"And she...?" She asked further.

"She has a one year old daughter now." Bo supplied

"How old is she?"

"She's eighteen now."

"Oh...she's older than me then." Victoria muttered

"How old are you?"

"Thirteen.”

That saddened and angered Bo. A girl so young pregnant spoke of evil.

"I can only assume the father of the child is a bastard." Bo hissed, and then he gestured inside. "You two can have a tour of the orphanage to set your minds at ease."

Bertrum could tell it was mostly to soothe Victoria's mind but would go along with her. Victoria pondered it over for a second, before looking inside the building.

"As long as you and your hands stay where I can see them."

“Of course." Bo assured, and Victoria followed Bertrum inside.

Bo closed the door behind them, and hoped he could help this young girl.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter goes more into the trauma two rape victims have faced.

Victoria looked around at the inside of the orphanage, and was led on a mini tour. It looked normal enough and through the hallway she could hear the sounds of children playing. She looked at Bertie, and he smiled at her. "It's quite the place." He said to her.

"It's dull, needs a new paint job." Victoria replied bluntly.

"What money?" Bo asked, fully aware it needed a paint job.

"Said the big man in an orphanage. You clearly eat well here."

"Nope."

"Hmm?"

"This is just left over weight from my stress eating as a teenager. I eat less than the kids here. I haven't had anything to eat in three days." Bo said this rather too proudly.

"Huh...why? Aren't orphans supposed to be the starving and miserable ones while the caretakers and directors are well fed and cruel?" She'd heard countless stories of such scenarios.

Bo scowled, knowing that was often true in other orphanages.

"I grew up starving and miserable. I'd never subject a child to that willingly."

"You still should eat more." Bertrum said with a tut. Bo just laughed it off.

"Bertie, I've got body weight to burn off. I'll be fine."

Victoria looked at Bo accusingly.

"I've seen people like you." Victoria growled as she peeked inside a room to see some toddlers playing together. "So selfless and readily sacrificing everything they have for others. Those types of people neglect themselves so much and destroy their bodies that they end up dying early, leaving those they wanted to protect alone to fend for themselves." Her tone was cold and firm.

Bo waved off her concerns, even already having considered this. "I'm not the only one taking care of the kids.” Bo then smiled wide. “Speaking of, how about I introduce you to my girlfriend, Cam? She does the most work around here aside from me and you might be more comfortable with a woman."

“Cam?”

"She's nice. You'll like her."

Victoria was very skeptical of this claim but allowed herself to be led further into Bo’s claims."Tell me about her."

Bo just utterly lit up at the idea of talking about his girlfriend.

"She's awesome! She has a great sense of humor and has a two year old child named Loran. She's great with kids." Bo had a bounce in his step even with his clearly damaged leg.

"But what did she do to end up here?" Victoria looked at Bo pointedly.

"Former lady of the night. I saved her from some thugs." Bo explained.

"I see. Are all your workers from the same origin?"

"Pretty much, yeah. Or mothers who wanted to have their babies here or raise them here. All my workers are female." Bo said, thinking it’d make Victoria more comfortable.

Instead, Victoria stopped in her tracks. Her thoughts were racing with what such a piece of information implied. No...she was not going to be used again. Not again.

Victoria screamed in terror as memories from that garden of horrors return to her mind. Rough hands all over her skin and a pain so brutal it is tearing her lower body apart. She dashed away from the two men, her heart racing faster than a train. Her traumatized mind filling her head with scenarios of continuous suffering for the sexual satisfaction of men.

She tried to find the exit despite them calling for her to come back. In doing so she ran right into a person. It was another girl, who had a little girl resting in her arms. A little girl that looks a lot like Bo. Victoria's fears rose and she scrambled past the confused girl. She saw the front door. Hope!

Then she tripped on her own feet. Her brother always said she was rather clumsy.

Her brother....she missed him so much. She wished he was there with her so he could keep her safe. She started to cry.

She didn’t hear the footsteps approaching her place on the floor. "Excuse me? Are you okay?"

"Stay away from me!" She yelled into the floor.

"Okay....I'll sit here then." The girl sat down in front of Victoria. Victoria looked at her in fearful curiosity. "My name is Leah. Yours?"

"Victoria."

Pleased with having a name, Leah then asked "What are you doing here, Victoria?"

"Mister Bertie...he said this place would be safe for me and my baby...." Victoria highly doubted that now.

"Baby? You're pregnant?"

"Yes..."

Leah saw from Victoria's demeanor that it was not happy news. “Why did you try to run out of the orphanage like that?"

"I didn't want to be sold to men."

"That...that doesn't happen here."

"But that director said all of his employees are whores! And....and that child you had with you, is he using her against you so you will stay and please clients?"

Leah blinked in surprise.

"No? Bo's her uncle. He hires prostitutes so they can get out of that life and not have to be in that line of work. Usually ones who were working for a man already. Now they’re free to be their own women.”

Victoria just cried more. "How can I trust his word? I can't trust him. He'll just touch me..." Victoria sobbed "It's all I'm good for!"

"No it isn't. Plus, Bo doesn't have sexual relations. Ever. Not even with his girlfriend. Don’t know much more than that."

Victoria glared.

"Lies. That's all men who love women want a woman for. That's all those workers are there for. To please men and their sexual needs."

"Ask them then."

"No, then I'd have to go back and be at risk of being assaulted. Never again..."

Leah softened up.

"Who assaulted you before?"

"....a person I once trusted."

"Why did you trust the person?"

"Because he was so nice and friendly to me before. He invited me to his house multiple times along with my brother and was just kind...just like that director."

Leah dared to put a hand on Victoria’s shoulder.

"His name is Bo Anders. He has never once harmed a woman here. We all have knives and over weapons so even if he was evil, he would be foolish to try." She said with confidence. Leah though knew Victoria was too traumatized to fully trust her words on that.

“He could still be evil.”

"Hmm, well, if he's so evil, ask my daughter about him. She can already say a few words.” Leah held her daughter Bette out more presentingly.

"So easily swayed..." Victoria mutters miserably, but she decides to ask Bette a question. Bette looked at her innocently.“Has your mama ever been in bed with Mister Bo?”

“Sa!” Bette said in an affirmative tone even as she didn’t have the words for it.

"Oh, really?" Victoria looked at Leah, thinking this proved her a liar.

Leah sighed "Yes we do share a bed, but I sleep with a knife under my pillow, just in case. Nothing sexual."

"Why do you share a bed with him?"

Leah suddenly looked distant, and with a slightly shaky voice she said, "Bette's father impregnated me after he broke into my house one night and raped me in my own bed. He's still out there somewhere so I don't like sleeping alone."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"You couldn't have known but I do understand why you have such a deep distrust for men. Most women here are the same, which is why Bo never hires men as caretakers. Only a few men ever come around here often, and that’s because they’ve earned our trust. Eventually you’ll come to terms that they’re not all bad, but it's still hard to be around them because you wonder if they’ll be bad too."

"Do you really trust most men?"

Leah lightly laughed.

"Not at first. I pointed a knife at Bo when my dad dropped me off here to give me some protection from Bette's father, and I'd known Bo my whole life, and slept alone for a week until I had too many nightmares and crawled into bed with him. Now I've slowly learnt to trust again, but it's still a little hard sometimes."

Victoria hummed at this and tugged at the carpet. "I only trust one man and almost trust another."

"And who are those?"

"My brother Richard and Mister Bertie."

Leah smiled.

"That's good then."

"What men do you trust?"

"Bo, my dad Jul although it helps that he raised me and couldn't even hurt me the way Sven did cause he lacks the parts, Bertie, and Walter...oh! You should meet Walter. He's a good man."

Victoria was unsure. "How do you know?"

“He is kind and quirky. He has these hand puppets and always cheer up children." Victoria was still suspicious but allows even the tiniest bit of hope. Walter seemed a lot like her brother.

Leah could see how unsure Victoria is of laying any trust in men and thinks, the examples she gave were all grown men so perhaps males around Victoria's own age would be better for her current state and aid in her recovery.

"How old are you?"

"Thirteen."

"Okay." Leah holds out a hand for Victoria to help her up. Victoria hesitantly took the offered hand and Leah helped her up.

Leah kept holding the other girl's hand and started leading her through the orphanage with Bette scurrying after. They went through the building and to the back door. Victoria clung to her and trembled. Leah felt deep sadness for her but hoped this will bring her some happiness back.

Victoria looked around the backyard. Many children of different ages were running around playing happily. Leah lead her over to a woman sitting on a blanket with a small child in her lap.

"Who's this?" Victoria asked.

"This is Camomile Pearce, But we all just call her Cam."

Cam waved and Victoria realized this was Bo's girlfriend. She was a very attractive woman, and Victoria was suddenly quite jealous of Bo."Hey there Leah. Who is this?"

"This is Victoria. She might be staying here if she gets less scared of Bo.” Leah explained.

Cam looked concerned. "I see....why is Bo so scary?"

"He's a man." Victoria grumbled.

"Oh really?"

"And most men are bad."

"Are there any good men?"

"My big brother and Mister Bertie."

Cam tapped her chin in thought.

"Hmm, well I know a few good men. Or tolerable at least. For example," Cam gestured to an older man who was attempting to get a shoe from a tree while some kids cheered him on. "Walter over there has got to be too stupid most of the time to even know its possible to purposely hurt someone. We have no idea where he came from. Brooklyn, maybe. He just showed up one day. He's great with the kids and great for laughs."

Victoria eyed him fearfully. Leah frowned. "She was...hurt, by a man."

Cam looked at Victoria and then at Walter. "Well, I think Walter likes men and not women so he's safe."

"Oh...my brother only liked men..." Cam nodded and patted the blanket beside her. Victoria sat down next to Cam.

“Can you tell me more about him?"

"He's nice." Victoria said sharply, ending that conversation swiftly. Victoria then looked at the child in Cam's lap. "Is that one Bo's child?"

"Nope. Have no idea actually who is the father. Bo still treats little Loran here like his own."

"Does Bo have any children of his own?"

"None at all."

Victoria scoffed. "How come? He has an orphanage full of women, he should've slept with each one of you twice by now."

"He's more like every girl here's brother or dad or uncle so that'd be weird. I'm only dating him because I enjoy his company and many others before you thought the same, so him being in a committed relationship helps lower those rumors."

Victoria rolled her eyes with a sour look on her face. "Doesn't matter, he's rotten to the core and only wants pleasure, that's what they are all like."

Leah frowned. This is not working.

"Tell me Victoria. His brother was a monster. If he was a monster too would he chose to protect me all this time, and allow me freedom too?" Leah pointed out.

"How do you know that he isn't secretly planning something behind your back? Being nice and kind to earn your trust then once you place your trust in him he pounces at you. How can you have faith in him?"

Cam frowned too. A young girl like Victoria should not have to think or talk like that. She should be like the children around her - playful and innocent. She must have gone through many horrors to reach this point.

"Did somebody you trust hurt you?" Victoria nodded silently at Cam's inquisition. The older woman scowls. "Well then you shouldn't let that man steal more from you than he already has."

"Huh?"

"Well, isn't hating men what he'd want you to do? Living your entire life in fear? I'd say even giving a few men a chance on other's words would be a good 'Fuck you' to the man who hurt you."

Victoria hugged her legs and said nothing. Leah joined in. "Yes, and what's more he is stealing your childhood from you."

"I already had to grow up before. Mother and Father hated Richard and I..because we were both homosexuals. We were getting money to move out...I was lucky to have most of the money on me when my parents kicked me out.."

“But you don’t speak of your parents now. This man is what’s keeping from living your best life. He is stealing your ability to smile and just have fun. Go play with some of the children and just forget for a bit." Victoria looked very uncertain at that. "Prove to that man that you are stronger than what he thinks."

"Exercise makes me sick. I have a baby in me after all."

"How far along are you?"

"Roughly two months."

"Then just go and have fun. Empty your mind. Take it easy but still play." Leah pushed Victoria to stand up and go towards a group of children playing jump rope. Bette and Cam’s child Loran followed her.

Victoria cautiously approached the children. One boy was struggling with swinging the rope since he was too small. He saw Victoria and noticed that she was much taller. "Missy! Can you swing this?"

“Umm...okay.” She grabbed the offered rope and starts swinging it synchronized with the other girl on the other end. A young child started jumping as the others sang a little song, Victoria started humming along to the song. It’s a very calming song.

She started to smile.

Further away both Leah and Cam watched her slowly warming up to others. "Baby steps. I hope that by getting her to feel safe around boys around her age we could slowly work our way up to adult men." Leah said with a smile.

"Walter would be our best bet for that since he's practically a child in an old man suit." Cam responded. They looked to see Walter had fallen from the tree and was laughing. The shoe was still in the tree. "Only when she's absolutely ready."

"Agreed."

They sat there for a bit admiring the playing children around them and the gentle breeze. "So...have you told Bo yet?" Leah questioned.

"About what?"

"The baby, Cammie. You're pregnant." Leah pointed out matter of factly.

"He'd know its not his. I was pregnant when he got me anyways."

"But you two are in a relationship so it'd be best if he is told."

"I know..." Cam touched her stomach. "This little one will be born pretty close to when Victoria's baby is born too. I hope they can become friends."

"It'd be good if she has that assurance. You should tell her."

"I will, but not right now. Now she just needs to have some fun." They both smiled somberly at the poor girl who was now laughing as Loran tried to jump. "To be a mother at such a young age...Leah, is that why you are so invested in helping her?"

“Yes. Similar situations...not to mention what happened with Lilly..."

"Who is this Lilly person anyways? Bo has mentioned her before."

Leah contemplated telling Cam what happened. "She...her name is Lillian Kersey. She and Bo were once close friends and from what I could tell were in love."

"What happened?"

"....that's for another day."

Cam frowned at those vague words but decided she'd just ask Bo later. Both women had a lot of troubled thoughts in their heads as the children around them remain blissfully unaware. They how Victoria seemed to have regained a bit of a sparkle in her eyes and smile softly.

"The innocence of childhood is a precious one indeed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If Walter’s dumbassery seems fondly familiar, he is in fact Wally’s grandfather (not that Wally has been born yet).


End file.
